Among the political parties, Samajwadi Party President Mulayam Singh Yadav was the only leader openly stating that the Muslims felt cheated and disappointed. He took straight position in favour of the minority community and observed that the judges took into account faith and other considerations as against law and evidence while formulating the verdict. However he was hopeful that the Supreme Court would be certainly judging the issue in a legal manner and do away with all doubts.

Mulayam has special reasons to take this open pro-minority line as a major part of his minority vote bank has shifted to the Congress and the BSP and this was quite evident during the last Lok Sabha elections. He now wants to get back this section who deserted him and he is making all efforts to woo the Muslim community. The Ayodhya verdict has given him an opportunity and he is trying to take full advantage of that. In fact, few months ago, he sought forgiveness from the Muslim community for his decision to align with Kalyan Singh during whose chief ministership, the Babri mosque was demolished.

While the SP supremo is trying to get back to his original position on emerging as the messiah of the minority community, the BJP is giving all the signs of emerging as a victor after the verdict. The BJP leaders are claiming that their stand on Ayodhya issue and about the birth place of Lord Ram have been vindicated. So the state BJP is demanding that the centre should take all steps to construct the temple in the site earmarked for it in the verdict. The BJP now finds it convenient to use the verdict as the major issue in the 2012 state polls but before that the Party at the national level will make use of this verdict at the coming assembly polls in Bihar.

Chief Minister Mayawati is also playing politics in the name of Ayodhya verdict. She has repeatedly said that the responsibility of maintaining status quo for three months at disputed site in Ayodhya was of central government as land had been acquired by the Centre.

In a shrewd move, Mayawati also asked central government to implement the High Court verdict and divide the land into three portions to Hindus, Muslims and Nirmohi Akhara.

Mayawati also had been writing letters to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on the issue of Ayodhya time to time drawing attention on lack of central security forces to maintain law and order in the state. She had made it clear that if there was any problem of law and order then centre would be held responsible as it sent less central forces against the demand made by the state government.

At the same Mayawati was able to give impression to minorities that state administration had been put on alert to safeguard their interests. Mayawati came to power on the basis of support from Brahmins, Dalits and minorities. Now she has to be very careful to retain the support from all sections.

Congress has welcomed the verdict and said that if any party was not happy it could go to Supreme Court. Congress is very cautious in its approach now as it lost its support in Hindu as well as among minorities due to mishandling of Ayodhya issue since 1989. Congress was responsible for holding Shilanyas in 1989, then opening of locks and failure to protect the mosque when Narasimha Rao was prime minister, on December 6, 1992.

It was only in last Lok Sabha polls, the Congress got 21 seats in Uttar Pradesh because of campaign by Rahul Gandhi and return of minorities which was fed up with Mulayam Singh Yadav who had joined hands with Kalyan Singh.

Few days back Congress was being held responsible for deferment of Ayodhya verdict when one Ramesh Tripathi having links with Congress leaders surfaced. The situation was saved by Supreme Court which rejected the petition of Tripathi and allowed High Court to pronounce the verdict.

That is why Congress leaders are maintaining low key after the Allahabad High Court verdict as they are aware that any wrong move could damage the chances in 2012 assembly polls. (IPA Service)